SkywordContentStandardArticlesBelowaresomearticlesIwroteforSkyword’sflagshippublicationin2017.Theyareofflinenow.Thesewereoriginalsubmissions,sotheyhadsomeminoredits,butareveryclosetowhatwaspublished.HowtoChooseaContentMarketingProvider(Hint:YouCan’tJustOrderOffaMenu) Jubilation!Yourengineeringteamhasmadeprofoundadvances:thesoftwarethatcontrolsacommunicationschipsetthey’vebeenworkingonforoverayearwillsoonbereadyforitsdebut.Desolation!You’retheproductmarketingmanagerthatcantalkgeekwiththebestofthem,butyoucan’tsayathingtoyourcontentmarketingteam—becauseyoudon’thaveone.You’vegotenoughengineerstocodeanewpartingoftheRedSea,butanyonetoputwinningsaleswordsinplaceandtheusethelatestmarketingtechnologytowingthemoutthere?Notasoul.Worseyet,andthisonereallystings:youhearthatyourbiggestrival,KindaGoodSoftware,hasjustsignedabust-the-bankdealtoselltheirchipsetsoftware—softwarethatpalesnexttoyours—toamajorphonemanufacturer,andallthebigbusinessmediaaremakingmajornoiseaboutit.So,whenyourphonelightsup,youknowit’sthebossontheline.Andwhenshesaysthecompanyneedstohireoneofthosenewfangledcontentmarketingagencies,theoneswhocansupplyyourcompanywiththewords,themeansandthemetricstogetyourtechinfrontoftherightbuyingeyes,you’reGooglingbeforeyouhangupthephone.

Ahh,Google.Sometimesanembarrassmentofrichesisoverwhelming,notclarifying.Yoursearchforacontentmarketingprovidergetsyouspillingcupboardsofenterprisemarketingagencies,marketingtechnologycompanies,boutiqueagenciesandfreelancers.Yikes!Maybeyoushouldbeginatthebeginning,andclearlyoutlinewhatyourcompanyneedsinanagencybeforeyoufallintothearmsofonewhoyouwon’tlove—andwhowon’tloveyouinreturn.Research,RFPsandtheSweetSmellofSuccessArecentForbesreportonagencychoicedeclaresthatoneofyourinitialinterestshastobehowmuchthecompanywillfamiliarizethemselveswithyourbrand.[Forbes2]Afterall,it’snotjustaone-and-donepieceofsoftwareyou’repeddlinghere—thesedays,it’salsoyourcompany’smission,perspective,andthewholeofthecustomerconversation.Assuggested,yournewagencyshouldhavethechopstodosometargetedmarketandcompetitiveresearchtoo.We’renotsuggestingyoushouldbetheneighborhoodgossip,butit’sasolidthoughttoresearchanyagenciesonyourradarbycontactingotherclientsoftheirstogettheskinnyonhowtheyfattenedtheirotherclients’coffers.Checkouttheagency’scasestudies[CMIlink]toseewhatstrategiccapabilitiestheproviderhas,andiftheymeshwithyours.Onceyouwinnowthroughyourinitiallist,andhavesometop-levelsenseofwhatthecompanycouldoffer,it’stimetowriteupanRFPtosendtoyourprospectstoseeiftheyhavetherightstuff.ThatRFPshouldincludetheusualsuspects:yourcompany’sbusinessmodel,customertargets/audience,contenttopicsandgoals(likeleadsorrevenueorboth),existingcompanycontentusesandplacements,socialmediachannelsyousocializeon,activemarketingchannelsandthelike.Whileyou’rewaitingforeveryoneofthoseagenciestosaytheycandeliver200%onallofyourneeds(andsendbrowniesatholidaytimetoo),therearesomeothersalientconsiderationsforwhatagencymightsuityoubest;oneofthemiswhatcountsassuccess?[Forbes3]ThatearlierForbespiecegoesintodetailonyouneedingtoknowthegoalsofengagingwithanagency.HowwillyoucalculateROI,howwillthedatabesupplied,andwhatwillyoudoiftheresultsaren’taspromised?(Thoughweunderstandhowgooditfeels,poutingisn’tasolution.)

PuttingaRingonItNumbersarenifty,assuggestedabove,butdon’tforgetthehumansideoftheequation.There’snosuccessifyougrityourteetheverytimeyoucallanagencyrep,orreadoneoftheiremails.NoneedthattheybecomeyourBFFs,butbehindmanybusinesssuccessesaremanycordialrelationships.Peoplewholiketoworkwithyougotheextramileandviceversa.Speakingofteamwork,takeconfidenceinknowingthatyourchosenagencyhasacontentteam[Digitalagencynetworklink].Youdon’twantasinglecopywriterwhodoublesastheeditorandalsomanagesthemarketingtechnologyonhislunchbreak.Thecostscanbeconsiderableforengaginganagency,andyouwanttobeassuredthatyourdoughisgoingtowardtheworkofaunitedsquadofhighlycompetentprofessionalswiththemoxietomoveyourassignments.Speakingofthathumanside,someanalystshavesuggestedthatengagingacontentmarketingproviderislike—gasp!—gettingmarried.Thisassociationcanbealong-termpartnership[ReportGarden]whereunderstandingandcooperationiskeytogettingthebestresults.Yourpartnerhastoknowyourneedsandexpectation,andyoutheirs.So,awinningsmileisonlyworthsomuch,iftheirmarketingtechnologyisbasedonWindowsXP.(Oh,the“starter”marriageconceptisn’tadvisedhere—don’ttestthewaterswithamediocrecandidate.)TheReportGardenpostisworthalonglook,becauseitcoverswithadmirabledepthmanyconcernsondigitalmarketingagencychoice—besuretoreadtotheendbeforeyousigntheagencyagreement.AndiftheReportGardenpieceistoolushofagardentoread,circlebacktotheForbespieceforitsbullet-listsummaryofsimplequestions[Forbes4]toaskyourselfbeforeyouengageaprovider,Sure,thereareplentyofdetailsherethatinsistyouthinkbeforeyouink,butwanttomakesureyourcontentmarketinginvestmentisgoingtobringinenoughprofit[Skywordlink]soyoucanstockthecompanykitchenwithenoughMonsterdrinkssoyourengineerswillcodeintoeternity.

HowProperTalentManagementPreventsCIOsandCMOsfromButtingHeads Inthiscorner,weighinginat210servers,withawickedleftjabofmemorycapacityanddatadependencies,ourCIO!Intheothercorner,weighing190analyticsprograms,withacrushingrighthookoflead-generatingearnedmedia,ourCMO!Whichoneoftheseworthybruiserswillwintheattention(andthepursestrings)oftheirCEO,asourCMOtriestojustifyabust-outbudgettoreplenishadepletedmarketingdepartment?OK,maybethissoundsataddramatic(thoughperhapsyouhaven’tbeeninenoughboardroombrawls),butwhenyou’reworkingattheenterpriselevel,talentmanagementisarumbleforskillsandthedollarstopayforthem.Thatdoesn’tmeanthatifonedepartmentwins,anotherloses,butitsometimeshappens.Theheadsoftechandtheheadsofmarketinghavebeenknowntobuttthoseheadsnowandthen,butit’sclearfrommomandpopshopsuptotheenterprise,creatingabettercustomerexperience—andmorecustomers—isamutualgoal.Theirapproaches,ofoneprovidingcustomervaluebyensuringalltechnologiesandtheuserexperienceworktogether,andtheotherprovidinganappealing,outward-facing—andpersonalandempathetic—customerexperience,aren’tmutuallyexclusive.Buttoday,they’vebecomemoredeeplyintertwined.Indeed,A2016Forresterreportsuggestedthattechmanagementcanbetooslowtoembracechange,andthattheyoftenremaintoo“inside-out”focused.Fromthereport,ITdepartmentsneedtobecomeascustomer-obsessedasthemarketingdepartmentand“buildthesystems,processes,andtechnologythathelpyourcompanywin,serve,andretaincustomers.CIOsmustletgooftheirtech-savvymindsetandfocusoncustomeroutcomes…CMOshavetogobeyondthecustomerexperience.”So,howdotheyplaynicetogether?AccordingtoForrester,byestablishingnewskillsspanningbothmarketingandtechmanagement.Afewhigh-levelsuggestionsfromthereport:▪ Focustechinvestmentsonvaluecreationthroughoutthecustomer

lifecycle

▪ Buildstronganalyticsandmachine-learningcapabilities

▪ Establishasharedvision

▪ Focusdynamic,cross-roleteamsoncustomeroutcomes

▪ Explorewhateachdepartmentcanbringtothetable.

MarketingandTechDanceaDelightfulDuet

We’regettingthesensethatforward-thinkingCMOsandCIOswon’tbethrowingpunches,butperhapstoastingeachotherwith[spiked]punch.IfourheroCMOhasbuy-infromboththeCEOandtheCIOonfillingoutneededmarketinghiresinwaysthatcomplementboththetechnologyandcustomer-centricanglesofcompanyneeds,howcanheorsheusetalentmanagementasacontentstrategy?Whatattributesshouldmarketingpersonnel,spreadacrossroles,haveformoderndigitalmarketingsuccess?

Let’sbeginwiththeknowledgethatnumbershavemoremeaningthanever,forbothmarketersandtech-heads.Andthesoftwaresystemstoextractthatmeaningarebecomingmoresophisticatedandhighlytuned.Thus,afairpercentageofyournew-agemarketershavetohaveanalyticssavvy.AccordingtoHubspot,there’sgoingtobeashortageof1.5milliondata-savvymanagersby2018.Hire‘emifyougot‘eminyoursights.Andthatgraphictellsitloud:newmarketinghireswillrequiretechnicalskills.

Quicksproutisquicktotellus:SEOisstillathing,andthewayitiscontinuallyevolving,yournewhireneedstohavethetechchopstobeontopofitschangingalgorithmsandthebestpracticesintheSEOtrade.(Oh,itlookslikeit’sgoodtohaveaPPCspecialistinthemixtoo.)

Andthismightsoundlikeanotherorderoffthespecialsmenu,butMashableispersuadingusthatnewdigitalhireswithsocialmediaadvertisingskillscanboostamarketingdepartment’sbang.Whetherit’sFacebookorsomesimilarmediaheavyweight,hiresthatcanhandleadcreation,testingandanalyticsinthoseplatformswillputcompanieshighuponthoseplatformheels.

GoingSoftIsn’taBadThingEither

Yes,theevidenceiscompellingthattyingtechintomarketingmakesbiggermarketingmuscles,butwhenyouarelookingtostrengthenyourmarketingteam,you’vegottobeholistictoo:“soft”skillscount.Numbersarenothingunlessyouhaveyourhumanbeingscooperativelyandcollectivelydiscussingthem—andimplementingtheirimpactsinapproachableandaccessiblecustomer-facingprograms.Talentmanagementonthe“approachable”sideencompassestheso-calledsoftskillsofcommunication,empathy,patienceandadaptability.Datadoesn’ttellstories:peopledo.

Speakingofstorytelling,yourmarketingenginewillstalloutaltogetherifyoudon’thaveskillfulstorytellersonyourstaff.Storytellingissuchanobviouscontentstrategythesedaysthatdeclaringitseemslikeabig“duh,”butwemust:nolessatitanthanForbeslistedcontentmarketingatthetopoflistofmust-havemarketingskillsfor2016andbeyond.Andyoucan’thavecontentmarketingwithoutcontentcopywriterstellingyourstories.

ThisTOPOpostemphasizestheswayofstorytellingaswell,andputsinabigvoteformarketerswhocancreateremarkablecustomerexperiencesoneverycorner(andineverycranny)ofthechannel.AsStarTrek’sCaptainPicardusetosay:“Engage!”

SeekMarketingMoxie

Asgreatasitistohavealaser-focusedspecialist,likesomeonewhocanrunpersonalizationprogramslikeHeraonMountOlympus,it’sadandytrickaswelltoseekhiresthathavemultipurposemarketingmoxie:therearepeoplewhohavegreatcommunicationsskillsmeldedwithstronganalyticabilities—dipdeeplywithyourdowsingwandstofindthem.(Asanaside,theredon’tneedtobetoomanychiefs:asthisMarketingProfspiecespellsitout,youdon’tneedaChiefContentOfficer,justgoodcontentmarketing.)

Andlet’sunderscorewhatwebeganwithhere:CooperationamongtheC-People.Forrestersawintheirsurveysthat“CMOsandCIOsstilldon’tcometothetablewithanopenmindtobuildajointstrategy.Toclosethegap,ITmustrampupitsmarketingchopstounderstandmarketing.Inreturn,marketingmustclearlyoutlineitspriorities,linkthemtobusinessresults,andthencommunicatethoseneedstoIT.”It’sspelledoutsuccinctlyhereinanotherForresterreporttitle:TheCMOAndCIOMustAccelerateOnTheirPathToBetterCollaboration.

Andthenwewillhavepeaceinthevalley,bettersunsets,andhappiercustomers.

HowtoProperlyDiagnoseaFailedEmailCampaign AsMarkTwainsaidafterhislatestmarketingpromotion:“Thereportsofthedeathoftheemailcampaignaregreatlyexaggerated.”Asanymarketingmavenknows,emailliveswithavengeance,andremainsoneofthebiggesthammersinanymarketer’stoolbox.Butbademailcampaignsaredeathwarmedover:emaildonewrongdoesyourpromosandyourproductsalethalturn.However,withafewthoughtfultweaks,youremailpromoscanrocketyourmarketingtosatelliteheights.Let’slookatthegoodandbadofemailmarketing.Considerthisscenario:You’retheVPofmarketingforanSMBcompanythatsellssomekindofluxurygoodonline.ThecompanyisdoingOK,andyou’vebeentryingforawhiletorampupsales,butthecashregistersaresilentasthetomb.You’vetriedanumberofemailangles:FOMOonmovingonup,funnyvideoswithcatswearingyourfancytogs,positioningtheproductsastheultimatelifestyleenhancers,lotsofshotsandvideosofgleefulpeoplelivinglargewithyourstuff.Nada.Butwhatifit’snottheproductsthatareflat-lining,butthewayyouuseemail?BecausetherearesomeclearwaysNOTtodoanemailcampaign—atleast,clearwaystodoonewrong.Firstup:ListsMakingaList(ButNotCheckingItTwice)Ifyouhaveacustomerlistthatyou’vegrownovertime,filledwithactivesubscribers,andrelevanttoyourtargetmarket,excellent!Ifyouhavealistthatyoupurchasedorrented,a“onesizefitsnone”bulkaddressdump,filledwithzombieAOLnamesfrom1996,andmostlypeoplewhoarecoupon-clippersmouth-breathingforstoresales(notthatthere’sanythingwrongwiththat),youarehosed.Whetheryouareusingapurchasedlisttosupplementanexistinglist,oryouarebuyingitwholeclothfromwhichtoweaveyourmarketingmagic,youwillsucktheairoutofyouremailcampaignsquickerthanaflashfire.Purchasedlistsarerandom,irrelevanttoyourmarket,oftenfilledwithdeadaddresses,andcanbringdowntheanti-spamcopsonyourprecioushead.

Youcandobetter.Buildyourlistorganically,withappealingopt-informs,productgiveawaysthatrequiresign-up,landingpagesthatpromotefunnewsletterswithsigningup—therearelotsofapproaches.Buyingalistisbuyingstalefood:nosalesnutritionthere.SegmentandConquerButlet’ssayyouhaveadecentlist.Thebestwaytowinthewaristoshootallofyourcannonsineverydirection,right.No!Iftwentypercentofyourcustomersonlybuythoseminksocks,theyshouldn’tgettheemailblastpushing$4,000coffeemakers.Youknowhowabulls-eyetargetis,right?Thereisthatcentersweetspotandthenallofthoseoutside,widecircles.Yourcontentstrategyhastotargetyourliststotheirbulls-eye,andtodothat,youmustsegment.Yoursockcustomerswanttogetnoticesaboutsocks,andperhapsforhigh-endfootwear.Andyourmalesockwearers(probably)don’twantadsforpearl-ladenpantyhose,andyour75-year-oldsockwearers(probably)don’twantpromosforfishnets.Segmentationtakescareofthat,servingupcontentthatpeople—individuals—careabout.Groupyourcustomeraddressesbytheirpurchasehistoriesandyouremailswillhavemorezing.YoucansegmentwithaconversionvengeancebyusingsomeA/Btestingsoyoucanofferunique,focusedcontenttotargetedsegments.[https://www.skyword.com/contentstandard/marketing/6-tips-to-increase-your-email-marketing-roi/]Customerswillappreciatethatyouseemtopreciselyanticipatewhattheyarelookingfornext—andyoucanbaskinyoursalesgenius.(Bytheway,theoppositeofgeniusiswhenthesoftwaretoolsyouusetocollect,sortandcategorizeyouraddresslistsendsoutemailsaddressedto“Andrea”whenthecustomer’snameis“Adam.”YouandyourtoolsneedtoknowtheAdamsfromtheAndreas.)SpeakingofAdams,AdamVavrek,DirectorofMarketingOperationsatSkywordsaidthatoneofthemostsuccessfulemailcampaignsoftheyearinvolvedgettingmorereadersforthehighlynutritiouscontentofthisveryContentStandard.Thereasonforthesuccess?Personalizedcontentrecommendationsinthemailingshttps://www.skyword.com/content-marketing-software/personalized-content,A/Btestedagainstacontrolwithoutthem.A5Xincreased-subscribervictory!

SubjectingCustomerstoBadSubjectLinesYouremail’ssubjectlinecanswingawelcomingdoorwide,orslamitinyourprospect’sface.Therearemyriadwaysyoucanbotchasubjectline:youcanbevague,deceptive,[http://www.iko-system.com/blog/cold-calling-2/do-you-take-part-in-the-7-worst-practices-in-cold-email/]eveninsulting.Manytimescontentmarketerslovethesoundoftheirownvoices(guiltyhere),andmaketheirsubjectlinesfrompuns,orliterarymetaphors,orpullsomeofthelatestlingofromtheUrbanDictionarytomakethesubjectscenesoundhip,man.Thiscanoftenbackfire.Clarityisgoodinsomanythings:soitisinsubjectlinesaswell.Ofcourseyoucanstillgivethelinesomecharacter,someverve,somelife—youdowantyourcustomerstojumponthemail.Butdon’tgettoocute.Orperhapsevenworse,sendoutmailingswithadraftsubjectlineorsomerandomcode.[https://www.act-on.com/blog/7-classic-email-marketing-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them/]Yikes.Let’sTakeThisSpecimentotheLabforAnalysisPerhapsyoubreatheasighofreliefafteryou’vesentoutallcampaignmails—toanactive,segmentedlist,withgreatsubjectlines—andthinkit’stimeforlunch.No,it’stimeformorecoffee!Youwanttofindwhichmessagesbounced,whichweredelivered,whoopenedthem(andwhen),whatlinkswereclicked,whatcontentdownloaded,whatsitesvisited(andwhen),whoputgoodsinthecart,whopurchasedwhat.Andthosearejustsomeofthehighlights.Youwon’tknowhowwellyourmailingshaveperformedwithoutdiggingintothedata.Datadiggingisadistinctcontentstrategy,anddigresultsshouldshapeemailcampaignstocome.Thelastfewyearshavebroughtshinynewmarketingtechnologytotheforefront,andagoodanalyticsprogramshouldbepartofyourarsenal.HereatSkyword,weuseaMarketomarketingautomationtool[http://www.skyword.com/skyword-launches-marketo-integration-part-latest-skyword-marketing-automation-solution/]todissectleadsandalsoputcontentintoouremaileditor.ContentCan’tBeCottonCandySpeakingofcontent,wewon’twaltzaroundasignificantemailcontentstrategy:thecontenthastobegood!Ifyoursalespitchesareboring[https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/blog/business/marketing/13-

frighteningly-common-email-marketing-blunders-to-avoid-like-tainted-halloween-candy/],confusing,misleadingorjustplainlame,nomatterhowspiffyyourcashmere,noone’sgoingtospendanycashonit.Thisistheeraofgreatstorytelling.Cookthemeatofyouremailssoyourclientscansmellthespices,lustforthesauce.(Andiftheyarevegetarians,segmenttomatch.)Storiesareindeedthefoodofmodernmarketing[https://www.skyword.com/contentstandard/marketing/at-visionary-companies-storytelling-runs-deep/]—feedyourcustomersandprospectsthegoodstuffandtheywillhungerformore.Makingthemostofyouremailmarketingcanbetricky,butgreatgallopinggallimaufries,whenit’sdonewell,everybodywins.Andnowyoucanhavelunch.

DoesNativeAdvertisingWork? “Look,you’regoingtolovethispiece!Nomoresmashingyourcustomersinthefacewithadhammers.Instead,Iwriteaninspirationalarticleaboutthecutting-edgevalueofcontemporarywidgets,andthrowinsomestuffabouthipstersusingthemnowtoo.Weputyourlogoandasubtle‘sponsoredby’messageinthecorner,andIsenditouttoForbes,Atlantic,BuzzFeed—hey,thisnativeadvertisingthingistherealdeal!”

Ifyou’retheCMOofWillyWonkaWidgets,andyou’veneverventuredintothebravenewishworldofnativeadvertising,youmighttakeabigswingatthatpitch.Afterall,thedentist’sdrillofinterruptionadvertisingisapainofdiminishingreturns.Nativeadvertisingisoneofcontentmarketing’scousins:itcarriesthesensethatyouwinoveracustomerthesedaysbyreachingout—gently—withwisecounsel,objectiveinformation,andtheinvitationtoanongoingconversation.

Whatbetterwaytochatthantotellastory,andthensoftlynudgepotentialclientsinthestoryteller’sdirection—thatis,towardyourproduct?

Inatimewhenimportantdemographics(whisper:millennials)areusingadblockersandregularlyzoomtoYouTubetoseewhattheirfavoriteinfluencersarewearing,drinkingorriding,traditionaladsaren’tconsideredacontentstrategy.Nativeads,usuallyplacedinpublicationsthatarehighlyregarded(oratleasthighlyvisited)don’thead-buttconsumerswithBUYME!battering.Instead,theycanexploreideas,engageemotionsandwinoverdefenses.

GoingNative

Maybeitistimetodipyourtoes(orevenaleg)intothenativepond.Ifyou’vealreadygotanagencyonretainer,youcouldconsiderthemforcopywritingandplacement.Ormaybeyou’vegotsparklycopywritersin-house,andamarketingteamwithsomesavvy.Probablythemostcriticalthingisnottogonativewilly-nilly—youneedtohaveaplan.

Attheveryleast,youhavedoyourhomeworkintargetinganaudience,allocatingenoughbudgetandtimetotrysomevariationsinhowyousponsorcontent,andofcourse,makethatcontentinteresting,helpfulandcredible.Theydon’tcallthisacontentstrategywithoutsomestrategy.

AsthisBusiness.comarticlepointsout,agoodnativeadisanad,butitdoesn’treadlikeone.Ajuicyoneisbothsuitabletoyouraudienceandexpressiveofyourcompany’sperspective,whetherthetopiciswidgetsorwhales.Butan

infomercialdoesnotanativeadmake.Manyfirmswillusesocialmedia,suchasFacebookandTwitterfeeds,toslipintheirsponsoredcontent.Goingfurther,becausemobilegoeseverywhere,Facebookprovidesguidelinesanddevelopmenttoolsforinsertingnativeadsinmobileapps.

NothingUpMySleeve

Oneoftheloudestconsumer(andanalyst)crieswhennativeadvertisingfirststartedappearingafewyearsagowasthatitwasdeceptive.HerewerecompaniessmugglinginTrojanHorsecontent:whatlookedlikeanobjectivearticleturnedouttobeapaidpromotion.Manyoftheearlierpollsonnativeadssuggestedthatonceconsumersrealizedthatapostoranarticlehadanunderstatedsalesslant,theydidn’ttrustit.Anddidn’ttrustthecompanybehindit.

Tweakageoccurred.Much—thoughnotall—nativematerialismoreclearlytransparenttothereaderastoitsorigins,andmorepublicationsissuedguidelinesonhownativeadsareservedupandlabeled.It’suptoyoutomakeitclearyourrelevantcontentdoesn’tcomewithamask.Whenyourwidgetwizardsgiveusaclearlookatwho’sbehindthescreen,theseriouspressureisonyoutomakewhat’sonthescreenworthlookingat.

Andarepeoplelooking?Someindustryanalystssaythatnativeadvertising,particularlyonmobile,isaclearwinnerforeyeballsandsustainedattention.ButasthatContentInsightsarticlealsosuggests,theone-to-oneconnectionbetweeneyeballsandconversionsissketchy.“Justlooking”isn’tahelpfulresponseforwidgetvendorshopingtokeepthelightson.Yournativeadtrackingshouldbesophisticatedenoughtoseeifthecashregistersareringing.

WhenInRome…

Goodnativeadsareofapiecewiththeplacewherethey’repositioned.WhenNetflixrananadintheNewYorkTimesfor“OrangeIstheNewBlack,”itwasanews-orientedpiecethatexaminedwomen’sprisonissuesthatcomplementedtheshow’scontent.Translation:Youhavetoproperlydressyouradforitssurroundings.Nofakenews!Rather,apieceofcontentstrategy.Onethat’spredictedtobeworth$8.8billionin2018.

So,youcanseethatnativeadvertisingisabitofamixedbag.Butitcouldbeabagthatyouwanttoincludeinyourshopping.Whenyourcontentisstrong,relevanttoyourproduct,theadplacementisinthecontentfamilyofthe

publication,andyouhavesomedecentanalyticsinplacetoseeiftheconversiondanceishappening,you’regolden.

Native:JustOneStepofMany

Nativeadsareclearlyastepupfromoldschool,in-your-facehard-sell.Theydoincorporatethestorytellingcomponentofmodernmarketing,andifyourwidgettalescanbewovenintoapersuasivepieceofpromotionalpoetry,youshouldaddnativetoyourmarketingtoolbox.

Butit’sunlikelyyou’regoingtomaketotalbankonyournativeads.Theycouldbeasoundadditiontoyouroverallcontentstrategy,butthestrongestmarketingmeasuresuseamultitudeoftactics—serveupyourwidgetswithavarietyofsalessauces,andtherewillbemorepartakingatthetable.

MoviesinYourCustomer’sMinds:VideoMarketingTrends,Take10 Iwon’tdoit.Iwon’tlookatthekitten-riding-a-tricyclevideo.Nope,notgonna.OK,justapeek.Wow,lookatthat!That’shilarious!OK,I’masuckerforkittyviddies,buttherearemillionsofopeneyeballsnowblinkingforgoodcontent—contentthatsellsproductorpromotesabrandinimmersive,engagingways.Asmarketingtrendsgo,videomarketingis,inthewordofafamoustweeter,YUUUGE!

Ifyou’reamarketingexecatanyenterprise-levelfirm,youprobablyalreadyknowthatvideomarketingisascorchingmarketingtrend.Ifyou’rethatsameexecthat’sonlydabbledinvideoforyourfirm,you’llknowthatyourlostsalesarethethingthat’sgettingtorched.

Nowthatvideo—evenlivevideo—isonphones,tablets,incarsandplanes(andyes,theimplantswillcome),it’shardtoescape.Andmostpeopledon’twantto.JusttobolsteryourC-suitepitchthatyourcompanyneedstodialupthedollarsforvideo,let’svisit10compellingreasonswhyinvestinginvideomarketingisastrongbetfor2017margins.Andthisisharddatapeddlingthattricycle,notsomeflyingfurball.

1:Video,byaLandslide!

Somepunditspredictthatwithinjustacoupleofyears,80percentofonlinecontentwillbevideo.Asallproofnecessitatespudding,let’sserveupsomevideothattalksabouttheconversionpowerofallthatvideo:

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Andjusttogetchatty,Snapchathasamere10billiondailyvideoviews.Ifvideoisn’tamarketingtrend,I’matricycle-ridingkitten.Andlet’snotsaythatInstagramstoleSnapchat’sidea,let’sjustsaythattheirInstagramStoriesareahomage.

2:VideoConsumersCleanTheirPlates

Ina2016Hubspotsurvey,userssaidtheiroverallcontentconsumptionwasup.Butthecontenttheyconsumedmostthoroughly:video.Weallwanttosee

theendofthemovie.Forbesassertedthat65%ofvideoviewersvisitedavendor’swebsiteafterwatchingavideo.Asfarasmarketingtrendsgo,that’samother.

3:OnceTheyLand,CaptureThem!

Weallknowthatpeople,likefruitflies,canbeabitfickleregardingtheirattentionspans.Savvymarketersarenowpinningthemtotheirseatsrightwhentheyarrive.Landingpagevideosareprovingacaptivatingwaytoholdtighttoapotentialcustomerrightatthesitedoor.

4:YouTube:TheWalterCronkiteofVideo

Yeah,maybeyouhavenocluewhoWalterCronkitewas.Waybeforetheadventoffakenews,Walter,fromhispostatCBSNews,wasknownasthe“mosttrustedmaninAmerica.”ApparentlyYouTubehasassumedthatpositionamongtoday’syouth:4in10millennialssaidtheyonlytrustYouTubeforcausestheycareabout.

5:BetterStartFilmingYourCompany’sBlog,andMakeItLiveYourbrandmightbepulledupbyitsbritchesbythisone:80%wouldratherwatchlivevideofromabrandthanreadablog,and82%preferlivevideofromabrandtosocialposts,accordingtoLivestream.6:GetItSaidin3Seconds.OrMaybe30Minutes

There’ssomeevidencethatgettingyourmessage(oratleastabrandexperience)acrossisnecessaryinthefirstthreesecondsofthevideo.Thatmaymakeyouthinkofthevoiceoverinmedicationcommercialsthatatcommercialendlistseverywickedsideeffectinamaniacallyfastvoicethat’sampedoutofitslungs.Butperhapsimagesworkmoresmoothlyinthemind.

Luckilyforthosevideosjustgettingtheirthroatsclearedinthreeseconds,there’ssomecountervailingevidencethatlong-formvideoshavea95%completionrate(andthatlivevideopumpshighnumberstoo).Wedohopethatthere’snoevidencethatthelong-formvideosareactuallyputtingpeopletosleepandtheyarenolongerconsciousbehindthekeyboardwhiletheirIPaddresssingsmerrilyalong.

7:PutYourMoneyonSocial

Facebookisthemackdaddyofsocialadspending,andforgoodreason:thosegazillionsofeyeballsliketosharewhattheyareeyeballing,andwhatbetterwaytosharethanonasocialnetwork?Twitter’splayinginthisplaygroundaswell,andwithlivevideostreamingathing,moreandmorenetworksaregoingtohostbrand-builtmovies.

8:WhereDidPokémonGo?Audiences,ohficklebeasts,canjumponsomething.Andthenwanderoff.TherearestillplentyofpeopleplayingPokémonGo,buttheinitialexcitementhasdampened.Sowhenyouplaceyourvideos,youwantthatplacetohavestayingpower.Orgrowingpower.JustoneyearintoPeriscopelivebroadcasts,theformathad200millionvideosand110yearsofvideowatchedeverydayoniOSandAndroid.That’sagrowthpatternthatparallelshowtheMacarenazoomedthroughsocialcircles.What’stheMacarena?Oh,nevermind.9:SpreadingtheLovePeopledoliketoshare,andnotonlyabouttheirTinderswiping—sendingvideosamongstthepeersisdefinitelyhotamongmarketingtrends.Some2016Twitterstatisticsbearthisout:Videosare6Xmorelikelytoberetweetedthanphotosand3XmorelikelythanGIFs.Thisisvideomarketingmovingonitsearned-mediamomentum,ratherthanhavingahuffingandpuffingmarketermovingitalong.10:MillennialsattheMoviesNottomakeitallaboutthemillennials,buttheyareadesirabledemographic.Andwhatdotheydesire?Well,amongmanythings,movies,apparently.What’sinitforvideomarketingteams?80percentofmillennialsconsidervideocontentwhenresearchingapurchasedecision.Who’spayingforthepopcorn?Andifyouwantaheadstartonvideoproductionbasics,we’vegotyoucovered.Sorry,gottago:Ihearthere’sanewcat-driving-a-Teslavideo.Can’tmissit.

NotYourDad’sContentMarketingTrends—ButMaybeYourGreat(x5000)Granddad’s Nailingdownmarketingtrendsistargetingsomethingthat’sever-moving.Oneday’slistmightbetoppedwithapushforbig(andbiggeryet)data,thenextinsistingthatmorepersonalizationisthething,whileanotherdeclaresthatinbound,top-of-funnelcrusadespavetheroadtoconversionnirvana.Whateverthecontentdujour,narrowbandhit-and-runtacticsaren’tdefinitiveenoughforC-levelexecsthatoftenneedtomapoutblue-skycontentstrategies—oneswithstayingpower.

That’swhywe’relookingheretosurveythekindofmarketingtrendsfor2017thathaveoperationalcomponents—thingsthatindustryleadersaredraftingintotheirmasterplans.Andjusttomakeyouwonderwhetherwe’regoingtosayWindows95isbackaswell,let’sstartoutwithoneofthegranddaddies:email.ThisIsn’tYourDad’sEmailEmail—itwillnotdie!Withallthewhiz-bangconnectivityapps(andtheiradvertising)burningconsumers’smartphonebatteriesthesedays,itseemsludicroustoclaimthatemailisstilloneofthekingsofcontentstrategy.Yet,theinboxremainsasacredspace—it’stheRipVanWinkleofmarketingtrends.

Thetable-bustingwealthofinternetdistractionsfindsconsumersclickingthenvaporizinginananosecond;incomparison,theirinboxesarecalmconfinesofsweetrepose,whereyourmessage—ifstickyenough—mightmakeitswaytotopofmind.JoePulizzioftheContentMarketingInstitutecitesanemailrenaissanceswellingsubscriptionnumbersatplaceslikeBuzzFeedandtheWashingtonPost.

Hespecificallycitestargetedemailnewslettersasanaudience-growingtrend.BothSumoStoriesandMailChimp’sWhat’sInStorenewsletteraregoodexamplesofcompaniesexpressingthebasicsoftheirbrand—oftenusingvideoandgoodgraphics—withgoodhumorandworthyinformation.Ooh,Look—PrettyPictures!Video,videoandmorevideomovedintheminds(andcameoutofthemouths)ofindustrypunditsasoneofthehugemarketingtrendsof2016—

anditain’tgoingaway.Creativelycomposedimagery,asanymoviegoerknows,hasawayofslippingbehindyourrationalmindandgrabbingyourgut.Andthesedays,youdon’tneedahushedaudienceandadarkenedauditoriumtoreachyourclientswithvideo—asFacebookLivehasshown,therightmoviemessagesontheirphonescanequallytingletheirspines.Theimpactofvideoonconversionandengagementsuggeststhatit’satoolwithpersuasivepower,andthatmillennialviewersareparticularlyhungryaudiences.Butsoul-grabbingvideocontentisn’tusuallytheresultofatossed-offiPhonecapture.Producingsolidandinvitingvideomessagestakesconsiderableskillandresourceallocation—withmorecompaniesinvestingtimeinrecordingandproduction,thebarhasbeenupped.ManycompanieshaveYouTubechannelswithsophisticatedvideoproducts,butwithitsPlanetoftheAppsshow,Appleisevengettingintooriginalprogrammingtoexpanditsbrandofferings.Andifyouwanttoseecompaniesdancingonthefilmedge(butsticking,becauseoftheircomiccharm)checkoutthisFirstMoonPartyvideoforthe“PeriodStarterKit”fromHelloFloorperhapsthe50ShadesofGrey-inspiredBurgerKingValentine.Thesearen’tyourdad’svideoseither.PeddlingInfluenceInsteadofscramblingwithscatteredpromotions,ads,deepcampaignsorothermeasurestogaintheattentionofraptfollowers,whynotjustpiggybackonsomecompanyorpersonwhoalreadyhasaferventfollowing?Influencermarketingisaburgeoningcontentstrategywithconsiderablesalescharge,asthesestatsindicate.AsthisInc.articlesuggests,“…thepotentialcustomersyou'relookingtoattractwouldprefertohearaboutyou,notfromyou.”Marketsareoftenbetterservedbysomeglitteryoutsidersingingyourproductpraisesratherthanyou—evenifit’sclearyou’repayingaprettypennyforthatpraise.AsanotherInc.piecestates:you’repayingfortrust.However,whenthattrustislost,theinfluencecangobust,andwithityourshinyassociation.WitnesstherecentdebaclewiththewildlypopularYouTubestar,PewDiePie,whoseYouTubePremiumchannelwasjustshutdownbecauseofPew’santi-semiticcontent.Whenthereportingofthevilecontentbecamenews,Disney’sMakerNetworkendeditsassociationwiththe

channel.BigotedcontentispooropticsforDisney,orformostothercompanies.TellMeaStoryHmm,this“what’soldisnew”thingmightbeatheme(orbetteryet,amarketingtrend).Goingbackamere40,000yearsorso,someonestenciledsomeimagesofhumanhandsonawall.Someonewastellingastory,tryingtoconnect.Thegroupprobablyworkedituparoundthecampfireaswell.Lotsofevidencesuggeststhatwearehardwiredforstories:talesofcourage,lust,conflict,loss,goodandevil—wegobblethemup.Andmanycompaniesareturningtostorytellingasakey2017contentstrategy.Awell-toldstoryisabeguilingthing—andifyoucanintegrateyourcompany’sstoryintoacreative,richlytoldtale,onewithemotionalresonance,audienceswillleanin.ProcterandGamble’sThankYouMomcampaignhittherightnotes.DosEquis’MostInterestingManintheWorldpromotionscontinuedtoamuse(andreinforcethebrand),evenwhentheoriginalconceptbecameanearcliché.Ifyouinvitepeopleintothestory,ratherthanhammerthemovertheheadwithit,yoululldefensesandcultivatereceptivitytoaproductoramessage.Storytellinghasagoodshotatbeingacontentstrategyforthenext40,000years,sostartsprucingupyourcavepaintings.ILikeMyRealityontheVirtualSideVirtualrealityhasbeentalkedaboutinbug-eyedtonesas“thenextbiggestthing”forwhatseemstobeaslongastheuseof3Dglassesinthemovies.Wasn’tthatduringEisenhower’sterm?Facebook’spurchase—notwithoutsomefiscalhitches—ofOculusRiftacoupleofyearsbackseemedtoensurethelegitimacyoftheexperientialtechnology,butitstrueadoptionhasonlybeenseeninfitsandstarts.But2017shouldnailitoneofthetruemarketingtrends.Maybe.Notthatsomeanalystsdon’tseebigbucks—$22billion,anyone?—inthenearfuture.Google’sreleaseofitsDaydreamheadsetispushingwhatseemedlikeastalledmomentum,andsomebrands,likeJaguar,Volvo,andtheNewYorkTimeshavemadeforaysintoVRprogrammingwheretheusercan,forinstance,takeatestdriveusingtheirphonesasthebasedisplayfortheVRheadset.

Oneissueisthatthehardware(liketheOculusandtheHTCVive)thatsuppliesthetrulyimmersiveexperiencesisexpensive.IranthroughanumberofthesuppliedprogramsonaSamsungGearheadsetthispastChristmasandthoughtheexperiencewasinteresting,thevideoqualitywasjustfair,thoughtheillusionofdepthandspatialexperiencedidgivesomethrills.ButIsoontiredoftheheadsetfeel,eventhoughitwasonlymodestlybulky.However,thisInc.piecesuggeststhat2017willbetheyearthattheVRexperienceisnormalized.Trendscomeandgo,butsomeexamples,likethosecavepaintingsareforever,ornearlyso.Thetoolstotellyourstoriesmightchange,butthefundamentalsapply:thestorieshavetobegood.Aimhigh.

MarketingMusictoMillennialsTakesSocialMediaSavvyThere'sdangerintryingtocategorizeandmarkettoagroup,buttoanentiregeneration?Beware.People'spersonalitiesdon'tfitbetweenthelinesinspreadsheets.That'swhyeffectivemillennialmarketingistricky,especiallyconsideringthisgenerationtendstodistrustadvertising.Butmillennialsmakeup25percentoftheU.S.population,sothesavvyticketsellerneedstobeinthegame.Foreffectivemillennialmarketing,thegamecentersaroundlivemusic.OutWiththeOld,inWiththeNewEveninaperiodoflimiteddiscretionaryincome,ticketsalesforbigmusiceventslikeCoachellaorOutsideLandsareimpressive,aswellasforindividualartistslikeJay-ZandLorde.Butyoucan'trelyonblaringbillboardsandadsindyingnewspaperstoputconcertconsciousnessinfrontofmillennials.Foreffectivemillennialmarketing,youhavetolivewheretheylive:insocialmedia.Butthatdoesn'tmeansettingupastaticFacebookpagewithabanner-basedfrontend.Forthegenerationforwhomtextingislikebreathing,puttingabrandfrontandcenterisaskingtobeignored.Millennialsareatwo-waycommunicationcrowd,andsharingwithfriendsisintheirblood.Whatdoticketsellershavetosharetobesharedalike?DoingGoodforGoodReturnsOnewayistopartnerwithorpartiallysponsorenvironmentallyorsociallyconsciousorganizationsandentities.Youneedtobecautiousaboutcontroversialpoliticalalignments,butifyourownvaluesareintunewiththoseofprogressiveorganizationsthatarebackersoftheartistsorevents,beingpartoftheirfocusedsocialmediacampaignscanpositionyoufavorably.Maybethere'salocalrecyclingorganizationwithalargeboothatthevenue,perhapsalocalcraftbeer,maybearaffleforaPrius—withmillennials,there'sfavorinhavingyourbrandpositionedwithbrandsdemonstratingsocialgood.Ifyouhaveonsiteticketsales,yourpromotionalmaterialsshouldlinkyoutothesepartnerships/sponsorships.Butofcourse,theycan'tbeacynicalploy—thesehavetobecausesthatyourorganizationlegitimatelyassociatesitselfwith.

Speakingaboutlocal,whataboutatryingapartnershipwithnewtransportationcompanieslikeLyftandUberbeforemajormusicevents?Perhapswhereyoudisplayathoughtfulticket-buypromointhemost-traffickedvehicles?LyftandUberarepopularintheyoungurbancrowd,lessinterestedinautoownershipinbigcities—tie-instherearepromising.Don'tforgetthatsomemusicappsandgamingappsacceptadvertising.There'saHumanBeinginYourTwitterStreamOfcourseyouneedsomedirectsocialmediavoice,sincehugepercentagesofmillennialsparticipateonsocialnetworks,butyourTwitterstreamcan'tjustbe"Buyticketsfor(band)on(date)."Searchthemostpopularhashtagsforartistsandevents,seewhichTwitteraccountsgethighvolumesofretweetsfromthosetags,andretweetthosetweetsthatarerelevanttoyoursalestostartconversations.LinktotheTwitteraccountsofperformers,tweetabouttheirupcomingconcertswhereyouhaveastake.SendoutInstagramorSnapchatimagesoftheirpriorperformances,withoutmakingadirectsalespitch,justmessagingaboutupcomingevents.Ofcourse,onyourownFacebookpageorTwitterfeed,youhavetobeahumanbeing.Makeallfeesclearupfront,respondpromptlytocomplaints,showasenseofhumor—bereal.Beingrealisessentialforeffectivemillennialmarketing.YouTubeisameccaformusicfans,andtheworld'ssecondlargestsearchengine.Becausegood"raw"videosgetasmuchtrafficaspolishedones,youcouldmakesomehumorousfilmsabouttheticket-buyingexperience,withouthugeoverhead.Linkfromyoursitetothefilms,andfromTwitterandFacebooktothem,withsharingbuttonsenabledforallthemajornetworks.DoingtheRightThing,forConnectionsandSalesContests,bundles,and/orgiveawaysthatconnectwithyoungpeopleonanemotionallevelarepromising.Perhapsoneticketholderwinsthechancetotakeaselfieofhimorherselfbackstage?OrtheticketbuyerwhosubmitsaYouTubevideoofthemostinterestingwaytheyobtainedthemoneytopayfortheticketswinsticketsfortheirfriends?Thosekindsofcontestshaveachancetogoviralforpopularevents.Don'tforgettheticketsthemselves.Doyouuseapercentageofrecyclable

materials?Spellthatoutontheticket.Doyouhaveanoptionforprint-at-hometickets?Printedmentionsofanyofthosesociallyconsciousconcert-daytie-insshouldbespelledout,too.Keepinmindthatmillennialsaregoodwiththingsthatareexpressiveoftheirvalues,thatareintimate,highenergy,thatconnectemotionally.Theyarehappytoshareinformationthatdoesn'tseemfake,overblownorethicallysuspect.Dotherightthingwithsocialmedia—whichcantakesometimetofine-tune—andyoushouldseeresults.

MadeinAmerica:BrandBoonorBrandBurden? MadeinAmerica:Arallyingcry,abluntinstrument,arazorthatmightcutbothways.Ournewpresidentstokedtheflamesofthefaithfulwithhis“MakeAmericaGreatAgain”mantra,promisingtoreturnAmericanmanufacturingtoheightsunseenintwogenerationsandtostockshelveswithproductsthatshinewiththeirred,white,andblueprovenance.Butthere’sthenoiseofasimpleslogan,andthenthere’stherealityofthemarketplace.Today’ssupplychainsgirdletheglobe,complicatingmostmainstreammanufacturers’abilitytosaythattheirgoodshave100percentAmericanDNA.AndforthosecompaniesthatdoalltheirworkwithinU.S.boundaries,wouldtheywantanyassociationwithanadministrationthatseemstobefloundering,ifnottoxic?Youcan’trideoncoattailsthataretearing.Moredirectly:DothebulkofconsumersevencareifsomethingismadeintheU.S.?Ifyou’reaCMOofacompanythatmakesgoodshere(or,asinthecomplicationabove,usesomeimportedgoodsaspartofyourprocess),isitpatrioticshineorbottomlinethatmakesthedifference?Wheredoescountrymergewithcontentstrategy?ThrowSomeShadeonWhereIt’sMadeFirst,let’sconsiderthat“MadeinAmerica”canbeaslipperyconcept.Americancarcompaniesdohavemanufacturingplantshere,buttheysourcepartsfromallovertheworld.Forexample,Mexicoisamajorsupplierofautoparts,whichsometimescrossthebordermorethanonce,indifferentforms,beforetheyareboltedintoyourdad’sBuick.OnechallengeforbigcompaniesisthattheU.S.doesn’thaveathrivingmatrixoflargefactoriesthatarereadilyavailableoverseas:theysimplycan’tfulfillordersinthethousands—orhundredsofthousands—ofpieces.Andinterestingly,asthisAOLFinancearticlepointsout,themajorityofworkersinmanyAmericanfactoriesareimmigrants,whichhasatouchoftheironicaboutit.However,thisNewYorkTimespiecemakesclearthatforsomemanufacturersofnarrow-marketluxurygoods,makingmerchandiseathome,whilechallenging,canhaveprofitable(andevenpsychologicalupsides)—politicsaside.

ThatbespokeAmericangoodscachetalsohasanotherhome-growncomponent:technology.MosteconomistsarepessimisticthatAmericanfactorieswillevenremotelyresemblethescaleofyesterday,buttoday’stechisenablingahostofmanufacturingstartups.ThisFastCompanypiecedetailsthethrivinggarmentmanufacturinghubinLosAngelesmakinguseofdataanalyticstosellgoodsthroughreal-timedemandandreducedinventory.Also,checkoutthearticle’sinfoonverticallyintegratedsupplychainsthatcontrol“everythingfromthefactorytothedistribution.”Efficiencyisalwaysacontentstrategy.Theprofilesofluxuryeyeglassandwatchmanufacturersinthesamearticlereinforce“newmanufacturing”ondomesticshores:leaner,smallerscaleandcustomized.NoneoftheseveralbusinessleadersinthepieceareavowedlyTrumpishintheirmadeintheUSApride;tothecontrary,theyexpressedalarmovertheproposedbordertax,andoverthepotentialsfortheiremployeestohaveimmigrationissuesbecauseofnewlaws.PatriotismvsProfits—aFalseDichotomy?There’saMadeinAmericaMovementonlinethatclaims440,000membersandhasapagewithlinkstogoodsandservicesprovidedbyvettedcompaniesclaimingtomaketheirproductssolelyinAmerica.However,investigatingsomeofthecategoriesrevealsthincompany:clickingon“Automotive”revealsasinglecompanyinthecategory,specializingintruckbedliners.ABrandKeyssurveyoficonic(andpatriotic)AmericanbrandshasJeep,Coca-ColaandLeviStraussamongthetop,astheyallwere15yearsago.Yetallofthosecompanieshaveinvestmentsandproductionanddistributionfacilitiesoverseas,sopatriotismandprofits,onexamination,mightbeanuneasymix.SomebrandslikeUnderArmourareexperimentingonasmallscalewithanAmerica-madeplay,testingtheirprocessesandtheirpricingtoseeiftheappealhaslegs.Legsthecolorsofdollars,thatis.Conversely,otherfashionbrandsaregettingsomepushbackfromconsumersbecauseofassociationswithTrump’sUSAthrust,nomatterhowuninterestedthecompaniesareinpolitics.Again,amadeintheUSAcontentstrategymightcutbothways.Pricingseemstointerestconsumersmorethanpatriotism,asseveralsurveyssuggest.ThisCNNpiece(fakenews!)exploreshowconsumersareonthe

lookoutforadealratherthanOldGlorywhentheyshop.ThesameconclusionwasreachedinanAssociatedPresspolldetailedinthisChicagoTribunepiece.MadeintheUSA:“It’sComplicated”Evenvenerablestars-and-stripesflyingbrandslikeHarley-Davidsonmightbeaccusedofsometaint,becausealthougheverybikeisassembledontheseshores,theycontractoutforpartsmadeallovertheworld.AnotherAmericaninstitution,L.L.Bean,indeedstillmakesavarietyofgoodsoutoftheirMainefactory,buttheynowcontractwithoverseasvendorsaswell.Theyhavea“MadeinAmerica”sectionontheirsite,whichsubtlyinformsthatsomegoodsaren’t.Ifyou’rewayoutWest,youmightnotbeawarethatAmerica’sbiggest—andoldest—craftbrewerisYuengling(1829),andtheirwater,hopsandyeastdocomefromtheOldSodonthissideofthepond,thoughsomebigboyslikeBudweiser,whosportAmericanathemescoasttocoast,areownedbyforeignconglomerates(inthiscase,theBelgiancompanyInBev).EvenahallowedAmericanbrandlikeJimBeam(1795)sailssomeofitsshipsfarfromtheseshores,beingownedbyasubsidiaryofJapan’sSuntory.So,there’stheAmericanimage,therearemanufacturingandsupplychainfacts,thereareconsumerinclinationsthattiltonewayandthenanother—andthere’savastgrayareaofwhatitmeanstobeAmericanmade—andifitreallymattersallthatmuchanyway.Inthemeantime,whilelegislativebodiesinCongressrantandposture,therearesomesmallnewishAmericancompanieslikeShinolahttps://www.shinola.comoutofDetroit,makinghighlyregardedwatchesandbikes,andhavingapositiveimpactintheircommunities.TheyhavemadeadeclaredcommitmenttoAmericanmanufacturingandhiring.Yet,theysourcesomeoftheirpartsfromoverseas.That’snotun-American,isit?

WiredforStory:EmpathyandtheNewBrandStorytellingwithTomGerace Storiesarefood.Youcanmakeareasonableargumentthatstoriesareahumannutritionalrequirement,ofanemotional/developmentaltype:foodforthebrain.Wesharecollectivestoriesinoursocialstructuresandinpersonaloneswithinourconsciousness:allinfluenceourmotivations,actionsandreflections.Inthebusinessworld,brandstorytellingisnowclosetoamovement,rootedincustomerempathyandconnection.TomGerace,Skyword’sfounderandCEO,isgoingtospeakatForward2017http://www.skyword.com/forward/onempathyandbrandstorytelling.He’sgoingtoco-teachworkshopsformarketersonStorynomics,alongwithRobertMcKee,legendaryteacher,seminarhostandauthor.Geracetooksometimeawayfromhisseminarpreptosharehisthoughtsonthepowerofstorytelling.Q:Settingasidebusinessaspectsforthemoment,canyouthinkofwhenyouwerefirststruckinyourownlifebythepowerofstorytelling?TomGerace:“Ithinkthatweallexperienceitallofourlives.Weareinfactwiredforstory.Storyistheforminwhichweexperienceandrecordtheworld,andit’stheforminwhichweforecasttheworldandmakedecisions.So,thebrainisreallyastorytellingandstoryconsumingmachine.Ithinkthatstoryhasbeenwithmesincebirth,asithasbeenforallofus.”Geraceexperiencedoneofhisfirstdirect“aha”momentsaboutstorytellingnotlongafterhe’dturned30.He’dco-writtenascreenplayandproudlysentittoafriend,oneoftheproducersofthemovieAirplane.TheproducertoldhimtotakeoneofRobertMcKee’sstoryseminars,andonlythendidGeraceunderstandthathewasn’texactlybeingencouragedaboutthepowerofhisscreenplay.“AfterIsawMcKee,Ithoughttheproducer’ssuggestionwasthegentlestandyetmostsevererejectionI’veeverreceived.BecauseMcKee’sseminarreallydidtwothingsforme:Ithelpedmeunderstandthepowerofthecraftofstorytellingwhenitisdonewell,andatthesametime,helpedmeunderstandjusthowpoorlyatthetimeIwasdoingitorweweredoingit,.Thatstuckwithmeandreallyplayedaroleinmybusinesslifeeversince,andinmypersonallife,nodoubt.”

Q:HowdidthoseMcKeeworkshopsinfluenceyouandyourworkatSkyword,andinturn,influenceotherpeopleyouworkwithatSkyword?Gerace:“Advertisinghasenteredarapidphaseofdecline,andthatteesupahugeproblemformarketers.Thatis,howtheyconnectwiththeircustomersinaworldinwhichthosecustomersrejectinterruptionandcanblockit,optoutofit,subscribetoaservicethat’sadfree—peoplearedoingthatbythemillionseverymonth.Thebrandmarketerhastofindawaytohookattentionofanaudience,holdthatattention,rewardthatattention,andthenmovesomebodytoact.Andinaworldinwhichweareconstantlybombardedwithopportunitiestoread,view,andlistentosomethingnew,themarketerhasgottogetreallygoodatdoingthosethings.So,thatdrovethecompanytofocusonstorytellingandmovingbrandsfromcontentcreationtostorytelling,andwebelievewillmovetheindustryfromcontentmarketingtobrandstorytelling,whichisasubsetofcontentmarketing,isthefactthatstorytellingissimplyfarmoreeffectiveatdoingthosethings.Hooking,holding,rewardingaudienceattentionandmovingpeopletoact.”TheStorynomicsseminarsteachaspectsofstoryformdesignedtohook,holdandrewardattention.Ifwellappliedinabusinessmode,storycancompelsomeonetotryorbuyaproduct.“Theproblemmostmarketershavewhenitcomestohookingandholdingattentionisnotthataudiencesaren’twillingtogivethemtheirattention.Theyareiftheexperienceisworthwhile.Theproblemisthatmarketersarecreatingcrapcontent,”saysGerace.“Theshortwaytosayitis,craftcontentthatisworthyoftheircustomers’time.”Q.Alotofcompaniesandindustryanalystsarenowtalkingaboutstorytellinginbrands,andSkywordisattheforefront.Whatkindsoftrendsareyouobservinginthoseareasamongmarketingprofessionals?Gerace:“Becauseofthetrendswe’vejusttalkedabout,brandsareshiftingfromad-centrictostory-centricmarketing.Asaresult,theroleofthemarketerisshiftingfromanoptimizationroletoaroleaschangeagent.Overdecades,adshavehadthesamebasicmodel:Findthestoriesyourcustomers

love,interruptthemwiththead,andspendenoughuntilyougetbrandaffinity,brandawarenessandthenbrandaffinity.Marketersastheircoreroleswerejustoptimizingonthattheme.Theyweretestingnewplacestoputtheirads.Theyweretestingnewwaystocreateads.Butitwasthesamebasicapproachandalltheyweredoingismeasuringthemathtofigureoutwhichpurposewouldbethebest.Now,mostmarketerswilllearntobecome,ifthey’redoingthiswell,goodshowrunners.Andtheywill,whentheyarecreatingcontentinasustainingway,workwithprofessionalcreatives.They’regoingtocomeupwiththecapitalandtheplan.They’regoingtocomeupwithandhireorretainthetalenttocreatethething.They’regoingtomanagetheprojectastheshowrunner,butthey’regoingtorelyonexpertsateverycreativetasktoactuallytellextraordinarystoriesforthem.BecauseIdon’tthinkyou’regoingtofindMerylStreeptakesajobwithP&Ganydaysoon.”Geracesaysthatevensmalltomediumbusinesseswillneedtotellbrilliantstories,butatalowerbudget.“Anybodywithacameracancreateisastory.So,ifyou’reanentrepreneurandyoucantellapowerfulstory,youcanconnectwithyouraudience.Youdon’treallyneedamassiveproductionbudgettodoit.Andyoucan’ttrytomaskabadstorywithabigproductionbudget,”hesays.Q:Whatisthepowerofempathyasitrelatestostories?Gerace:Empathyisthecentralorganizingprincipleformykeynotetalk.Storyhastheuniqueabilitytohelpusexperiencelifeassomebodyelse.Infact,experienceitassomebodywhocomesfromadifferentbackground,growingupinadifferentpartoftheworldwithdifferentresourcesordifferentlifeexperiencesanddifferentculturethanourown.Ithinkbecausestorytellingcandothat,awelltoldstoryisuniqueinitsabilitytohelpusstepoutsideourownnaturallyself-centeredviewoftheworldandthinkmorebroadly.Idon’tknowofanywaysthatareaseffectiveasstoryinbuildingempathybetweenpeople.Youcanthinkabouthowstorieshavetransportedyouintodifferentworldsandfindagoodexampleofthat.Imean,Ididn’tgrowupinthe50s.Ididn’tgrowupasanAfricanAmerican.Ididn’tgrowupasawoman.

Butman,didIconnectwiththecharactersinHiddenFigureswhenIwatchedthatfilm.Storieshelpyoutounderstandlifeandthecomplexitiesandnuancesoflifebetter.It’sgoodfortheworldbecauseithelpsusallbebettercitizensoftheworld.Andifyou’reabusinessleader,it’scertainlygoodforyourbusiness.Becauseifyoucan’tbuildaconnectionwithyourcustomers,andthatconnectionrequiresempathy,theninapost-advertisingworld,you’regoingtostruggletogetthemtotryorbuythethingsyouwantthemto.”RegistertodayfortheStorynomicsseminarcomingthisJune16inBoston.http://storynomics.com/storynomics-boston-registration/

Storytelling:UsingtheMothtoTurntotheLight Thewordsaremagical.“Onceuponatime…”andyouaresevenagain,andtheremightbecastles,dragons,spaceships.Yourbrain,thatthingthatfixatesontheoverdueelectricbill,theanxiety-inducingheadline,themurkyfuture—thatbrainvaultsawayfromthoseandembracesthestory.Storytellingseemsoneofthemostancientofhumanarts,buttellingly,agoodstorytoldtodayhasthesameirresistibleinvitation.AsRachelGillettsaidinthisFastCompanypiecehttps://www.fastcompany.com/3031419/why-our-brains-crave-storytelling-in-marketingonstorytelling,“Whenwereadastory,notonlydothelanguagepartsofourbrainslightup,butanyotherpartofthebrainthatwewoulduseifwewereactuallyexperiencingwhatwe’rereadingaboutbecomesactivatedaswell.”Storiesgetinyourskullandwalkaround.Butlet’slookatyourownstory.You’rethemarketingdirectoratabrandbadlyinneedofafacelift—atthecellularlevel.Youandyourteamhavedevelopedanenergizedgo-to-marketstrategythat’sgoingtoputtheshinynewfaceofyourcompanyunderthespotlight,andeverycameraanglewillbeshowingyourgoodside.Theheartofthebrandingstrategy:storytelling.WeAllTellStories(ButWeCanTellThemBetter)Oneminorhitchinthegrandplan:you’rethestorytellingcreativelead.Andthoughyougetit,reallygetitthattellingstoriesgetsyourcustomers’brainstolightup—andyoureallytingletoagoodstoryyourself—creativethinkinghasneverbeenyourthing.You’veneverhadtheknackoftellingtales.Buildingcharacters,plottinganarrative,lettingtheimaginationfly—notonyourrésumé.Theaccumulatingweightoftheadultworldmighthavemadeyouforgetaboutthesparkofintuition,hearingthesmallvoiceofsonginaloudroom,knowingthattheurgetoplayshouldn’tstopwhenyouturnedtwenty-two.Butthere’scompellingevidence,thatweareallcreative.http://www.roamandgolightly.com/blog/we-are-all-creativeAndonewallofthatcreativeframeisthatwearestory-makingmachines.

ButlisteningtoafewpodcastsatTheMothhttps://themoth.orggetsyouthinkingthatevenifstorytellingisanart,it’sanartthat’saresultofcraft,ofstructure—likeagreatbrandingcampaign.TheMoth,whichhashostedmorethan25,000peopletellingtheirliveaudiotales,andhasheldmorethan3500liveevents,isbasedonthesimplepremisethatordinarypeoplehaveextraordinarystoriestotell.Atinywindowopenstoaplacewhereyousensethatit’snotthatyouhavetohaveacreativethinkinggenetobeastoryteller.Morethatstoriesarecommontousall,andconnectusall.Buthowbesttotellthem?DoThis,ButNotThatTakingsomebitesfromTheMoth’sStorytellingTipsandTricksadvice,here’sacondensingoftale-tellingwisdom,slantedtowardpersuasivemarketing:HaveSomeStakesThestorytellerhastobeallin—skininthegame.Youhavetohavesomethingtowinorlose.Yourbrandingcampaignhastotakesomerisks,exposesomeofthatskin.Today’scustomerswanttoknowmorethanjustfeaturesandbenefits—theywanttoknowthecompanyhasapulse,andhowtolocateitsheart.HaveaGreatFirstLineYouhavetomovetheaudiencetowardyoufromthefirstbreath.So,yourpostheadlines,youremailsubjectlines,thefirstthingyourclientsseeinthetwo-minutevideo—ithastobepumped,alive.KnowYourStoryWellEnoughtoHaveFunDon’tchoke,double-back,orsaywhat’salreadybeensaidwhenyoudeliveryourmessage.Don’tusetenmetaphorswhenonehitshome.Beapro—butrelax.Andafewdon’tsthatwillkeepyoufrombombing:Steerclearofmeanderingendings-KeepyourclosingscrispNostanduproutines-Humorishelpful,butmachine-gunningjokesisn’tNorants-Angeroftenbringsdefenses,ratherthanengagementNoessays-Awell-constructedessayhasitsplace,butnotwhenyouarebuildingmarketshare.Bequick.

StoriesConnectThinkingofhowstoriesconnect,youknowthatrevealingthenewfaceofyourbrandformedia-savvycustomerstodaywon’tsucceedunlessyourstoriesresonate,unlesstheybridgegaps.AsJonathanGottschall,authorofTheStorytellingAnimal:HowStoriesMakeUsHuman,wrote:“Storiespowerfullyhookandholdhumanattentionbecause,atabrainlevel,whateverishappeninginastoryishappeningtousandnotjustthem.”Youdon’twantan“usvsthem”foryourbrand;youwantwhatMothfounderGeorgeDawesGreeninthisNewsweekarticlehttp://www.newsweek.com/2015/07/10/moth-storytelling-turns-eighteen-348443.htmldescribes,“Ijustlovedtheideaofacommunityofpeoplethatwouldbeabletogatherandtellstories.Lifeforeverybodyinthatgroupwasricher.”Acommunitywithyouandyourcustomershassomuchmoreexchangethanseeingthemasfieldsonaspreadsheet.So,insomeways,itlookslikelessismorewhenitcomestomasteringtheartofstorytelling:http://www.metro.us/lifestyle/three-tips-for-nailing-any-kind-of-presentation-from-the-moth/zsJoln---u5O5Njz76tTt2beauthentic,exposesomeofyourself,andmakesurethatlastsentenceineverypostbringsdownthecurtainstostrongapplause.StoriesAreEverywhereOnceyouabsorbthatsensethatstoriesareeverywhere,andthatyouonlyhavetowillinglywinkatcreativethinkingtoopenthestorytellinggates,letyourbrainexplain.Youmightcomeupwithallkindsofquirkybutvibrantbrandingideas:Havethecompanyfounderstellasuccinctvideostoryofhowthecompanycametogether.Maybecouchitin“creationmyth”terms.ShowtheproductatworkwiththebackdropsbeingAmericaninstitutions—HalfDomeinYosemite,Mt.Rushmore,TimesSquare—toframeyourbrandassomethingofsignificanceandsweep.Setupasongwritingcontestabouttheproductamongthecompanydirectors.Thewinnergetstosingthesongonapublicvideo.(Note:sometimeseventhecringeworthyhassomeviralvalue.)

Startapodcastofcustomerinterviewsofhowtheyusetheproductintheirwork.Ormaybeapodcastsetupasagameshow,whereallthecorrectanswersdescribeyourproduct’svaluetocustomers.Useyouranalyticstofindthecustomerwhoisatthemostdistantgeographicpointfromcompanyheadquarters.Flyoutwithaninterviewteamtovideotapeheronhowshestillfeelsconnectedtothecompany.Onceyoustartseekingoutstories,you’llfindthem.Andwithanopenmindset,you’lltellthem.Howeveryoudoit,clearyourthroat,andstartwithastory.We’lllisten.Addendum:BrandsThatBringItNowthatwe’reclearthattellingtalescannotonlythrill,butconverttoo,let’slookatacoupleofbrandsthathavesoldtheirstoriessowellthattheircustomersstepintothosebrandstoriesandwritenewchapters.YETICoolershttp://yeti.comhastobeoneofthecoolest(sorry)examples.Beforeweevengetintotheircreationstory,knowthis:oneoftheircoolers,theTundra350,retailsfor$1,300.No,youdon’tgetfrieswiththat.BeforeYETIbeganmakingcoolersthatcosthundredsofdollars,therewasn’tevenacategory—normarket—forpremiumcoolers.Theycreatedit,anditthrives.YETIisthebrainchildofbrothersRoyandRyanSeiders,avidoutdoorsmenwhogrewfrustratedwiththepoorqualityanddurabilityofstandardcoolers.Theystartedmakingprototypesofcoolersyoucouldjumpon,thatcouldfalloutofacaroroffacliffandremainstrongandusable.AsthisInc.profilehttps://www.inc.com/magazine/201602/bill-saporito/yeti-coolers-founders-roy-ryan-seiders.htmlofthebrothersputsit,“…theyhavebuilttheircommunity,theiroperatingphilosophy,aroundtheirpassionatecommitmenttotheoutdoors."AstheInc.piecedetails,theyvisitedfishing-tackleshopsandoutdoorequipmentretailerstoshowwhatapremiumcoolercoulddo,workingsmallaccountsandtradeshowsandthenhiringinfluentialguidesandfishermenasbrandambassadors,andthenmovetonaturalmarkettangentsoftheoutdoorset.Wordofmouth—andcustomerraves—followed.

NowontheYETIsiteyoucanreadthestoriesoftheseambassadors:famousfiguresintheoutdoorworld,hunters,fishers,competitiveropersandmore,activelydepictedinbeautifulenvironments.AsectionoftheirsiteidentifiestheWildOnes,photosofcustomerstaggedbysportinginterestandlocation.TheirTwitterfeedisactivewithcustomerengagementandgoodwill.YETIisbranchingoutintonewproducts,butcarefully,toensuretheykeepthespiritoftheirbrand.DannijoHasHeartsThatGlitterYETIbrothers,stepasideforasistersstory:sistersDanielleandJodieSnyderfoundedtheirjewelrybrandDannijoalmost10yearsago.Inthattimethey’vegathered145,000livelyInstagramfollowersbylettingtheircustomerspeekinto(andcommenton)thesisters’lives,andbyshowingsharppicsofcelebritiesandnon-celebritieswearingtheirglitterygoods.Asthisarticleexplainshttp://sujanpatel.com/marketing/7-companies-killing-brand-driven-storytelling/,thecompanyismakingthemostofvideowhileusingthesisters’story-sellingchops;videosoftenhaveoneofthesistersinterviewinginfluentialfigures,orshowingpeoplebehindtheproductionoftheirproducts.TheirWorldofDannijobloghassectionsonHealth,Motherhood,StyleandInterviews,manywitharrestingphotogalleriesoftheirtopicsubjectswearingDannijogems.Orthesistersthemselveswearingthem.Customershaverespondedpositivelytothesmilingpresenceofthesistersinmostoftheirmarketing;ofcourse,havingcustomerslikeBeyoncéandNataliePortmandoesn’thurt.Theirmissionstatement“…tocreateartisanal,timelesspiecesthatcanbewornaslittledailyremindersofLoveandBeauty”alsoincludestheircommitmenttosustainabilityandworkingwithwomeninunderdevelopedareasoftheworld.TheSnydersistershavecomealongwayfrommakingjewelryforalltheirfriendsasteenagers,butthecenterhasheld:theirfull,activelivesareintegratedintotheirlifestylebrand.Andpeopledigit.